Frostbite, Sleep Tight
by WhiteTeaDragon
Summary: Jack X Bunnymund, can't judge because they're both magical. Not my usual ship, but I think they're cute. Note: I call Jack an elf in this because the way I understand it, many elves are thought to be the spirits of children, as they're known to be mischievous creatures. So don't freak out please


Frostbite, Sleep tight

Jack Frost X E. Aster Bunnymund

The shadow towering above him alerted Jack Frost to Bunnymund's presence. The rabbit's arms were crossed solemnly over his broad chest. Without waiting for any acknowledgement, he growled in his smooth Australian accent, "You, me, supply closet, _now_," before he stomped off, gray-blue fur ruffled like the down of a thistle.

Jack grumbled slightly under his breath, wary of Bunny's hearing, but set his book down nonetheless and struggled to his feet, one of which was wrapped in a magic cloth to help it heal. After a bad run-in with a dangerous Zephyr, or rogue wind spirit that was more machine-like than anything, Jack had accumulated a few minor flesh wounds… Like a broken leg. "Stupid fur-ball… Making an injured elf walk…" Limping after the rabbit, he knew what this little chat would be about.

The two guardians were staying at the Clauses' condo in the most remote part of Nova Scotia, and because his surroundings were unfamiliar to him, Jack almost forgot exactly where the supply closet was and scoffed a little. The only others here besides Bunny and himself were the elves that kept the place tidy, since the sour-faced rabbit was the only one surprisingly with sufficient enough medical magic knowledge to actually heal him, so he didn't understand all this need for privacy.

Jack was afraid to admit it to himself, but he quite enjoyed being around Bunnymund, for all his gruffness. He enjoyed watching the large rabbit's surprisingly spare movements, like how he worked in the gardens in thanks for the Clauses' generosity, or how he helped the elves around the cottage… the way his storm-colored fur caught the light and turned to silver, like a snow flake.

The elf shook his head. As much as he admired his fellow guardian, maybe more-so than he should, he tried his hardest not to come into full fur-on-skin contact as he could. Bunnymund was attractive, that much was for sure, but he could not, _would_ not, allow himself to touch the rabbit. He just couldn't- not after what had happened when he was a child.

The surprising part was that Bunnymund seemed to reciprocate his feelings to a much deeper degree than his own, and combined with Jack's unwilling state, had created a mist of tension around the two of them, though subtle. Jack took a deep breath. Whatever happened in that room, he blamed Bunnymund entirely.

Reaching the closet, Jack looked around before knocking and whispering sarcastically; "The password is 'Jackrabbit'. Lemme in."

The door opened and Bunnymund peered out at him, a bemused expression on his face, twitching his whiskers in displeasure. "Get your ass in here, nose-nipper."

It was Jack's turn to scowl. "Just because _you_ don't have any popular songs about yourself…" He let his sentence go unfinished as he slid in, close- too close- next to Bunnymund. "Why all the need for privacy? We're the only ones here, you know."

"The elves gossip, mate," Bunnymund stated simply.

"And what is so important that you had to drag me into this place? It's like some creepy pedophile dungeon." Jack pointedly brushed off a cobweb from between a fifties-era can of hairspray and a dilapidated-looking dolly.

"Cos you and I, Jacky-boy, have some things to talk about," The larger guardian said pointedly as he found himself a seat on an old nightstand.

"Oh?" The snow-elf fingered an old scarf on the shelf behind him.

"Yeah, we do. And you're gonna listen to me, mate, if you know what's good for ya."

"Hmph."

Bunnymund twitched his nose before he left his seat and began pacing (as much as he was able) in the small, somewhat elongated space. "We've been friends for how long now?"

"Several years. Why?"

"And we… We get on well don't we?"

"Sure we do."

"So… So why, when I warned you that Zephyr was _dangerous_, did you go out deliberately to seek him out?" Despite not yelling, Bunnymund's voice took on an air of harsh scolding. Dealing with various small children for a job probably gave him that edge.

"Because there's a difference between taking advice and taking orders."

"You could've considered that little exchange half-and-half."

"It wasn't like he was Pitch. You act as though I ran off to fight a whole army of Fearlies by myself!"

"It may as well have been! You could've gotten your fool self _killed_, mate!" The rabbit snarled. "Your carelessness could've easily made you… You-You-Augh!" Bunnymund threw up his paws in frustration before calming himself down again. Jack had never before seen him have such an outburst. After a few moments, the rabbit lifted his head to look at him. "I can't _stand_ for you to be so reckless. I simply cannot."

Jack got a little angry at this. He didn't know what it was, but he felt like Bunnymund didn't trust him to take care of himself. "_You_ can't stand for it? Well who made _you_ my protector? Who says you'd be able to protect me from every little thing out there?"

The rabbit looked as though he'd been struck. His ears slipped a few notches down. "Because I-" He stopped short. Looking a little lost, he glanced about himself half-frantically before stepping closer to Jack in a timid kind of way, unusual for such a brutish lug as him. "I can't bear the thought of something bad happening to you, Jacky boy." The way Bunnymund looked at him, the elf felt himself melting. The rabbit stepped yet closer, his ears falling to half mast in a way that Jack thought was adorable. How badly he wanted to reach out and tenderly stroke that lovely fur, just once. The elf twined his fingers together, determined to overcome his urges. "I love you, Jack…" The taller guardian began to lean into his personal space, arms soon to enclose him in a sweet embrace.

But the snow elf shied away and managed to escape on the other's arms, as badly as it hurt him to do it. He would've let himself be taken into the other guardian's embrace, but… Not with what might happen to him. One simple touch and he could be... Pressing himself against the far wall, the white-haired one said, "No! Please don't touch me!" It was made all the more difficult by Bunnymund's confession. Jack wanted to hear him say it over and over as many as a million times. But he couldn't, when he could potentially destroy it.

The pain on Bunnymund's face was almost unbearable. "Why won't you let me love you, Jack?" The rabbit approached him and took him by the shoulders, even as the smaller guardian flinched.

"I can't do this! You're a rabbit, I can't touch your kind- as stupid as it may seem; I can't do it!"

"What's my being a rabbit have anything to do with this?" Insulted, Bunnymund drew back.

Jack cried out, feeling something within him give way. "I can't because every single time I've tried; _I've killed you from frost_!" The boy let out a sob, stark with the grief of his childhood, of the snowshoes he innocently tried to hold and protect from the wolves that came like a blue smoke. How they stiffened in death right in his young hands. There had been no softness to them then, no fur warm with life. Only pale, hard death and a heartbroken young Jack. The point of his frost was to make magic- not harm, but still the snowshoes died. The wound on his heart would be forever open because of it.

When Jack had finished his grim story, the two guardians just sat across form one another, staring. Neither seemed to know how to feel or what to say, so they sat for a few minutes in silence while they contemplated. Bunnymund suddenly drew himself up again.

He looked tired and drained, but when he spoke, his voice was full of warmth and passion. "But you forget, Jack, that I'm magic too. You couldn't hurt me, no matter how hard you tried." He paused, greenish eyes glinting. "Only if you left, Jack. Then you'd hurt me worse than anyone."

As if to prove his point, with slow and deliberate movements, he grasped Jack's milk-crystal hands in his paws and without giving the elf time to protest, brought his fingers to sink into the plush, silken fur of his chest.

"Oh god-" Jack began to sob. "How could this- My god, Bunny…" Bunnymund enfolded him then, still breathing, still warm, but different from the warmth of spring or summer.

"Shh, Jack, I'm right here. I'll always be here, if that's what you want." His scent was that of the moor grasses and lilacs. Very soothing, very beautiful.

Abruptly, Jack pushed Bunnymund away and looked him hard in the eyes. "_Prove it_." He set his chin in the rabbit's fur again.

"I'll never ever leave you, Jack. You're mine now. And I'm yours too. If you think I can walk away from a challenge like this, mate, then you're sorely mistaken." And with that, Bunny lifted his chin and kissed him softly, with a hunger that spoke of years. When he pulled away, he asked, somewhat shyly, "Can I touch you Jack?" Jack only nodded while he entwined his arms around the guardian's neck. The rabbit's leathery paws were all over him then, stroking his cheek, combing through his hair, rubbing his back.

"Bunnymund," Jack began, stroking one of his lover's soft ears.

"Call me Aster, please," The rabbit whimpered, almost collapsing onto him.

Jack grinned. "What magic is this?' He asked gently, holding Bun- _Aster's_ ear more firmly and stroking upwards. A long, low sound was emitted from the rabbit, whose face was pressed into Jack's neck, giving him small kisses.

"E-Ears are the most sensitive part of a rabbit," Aster shakily explained, laying his ears back in embarrassment.

"It's cute," Jack murmured softly. The elf continued to stroke his ears, first one and then the other.

Jack's companion settled him into his lap, merely holding him close. After a moment of cooling down in the silence, the larger guardian asked somberly, "What are you thinking about, mate?"

"Stop me if I'm moving to fast, but… I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep alone tonight…" The snow elf admitted.

Aster chuckled. "Be damned if I was gonna let you," He replied, kissing him again. Jack let himself relax into Aster's large form, feeling safer than he had in a very long time. The larger guardian began to stroke his back with the back of his paws, up and down, very slowly, very soothingly.

It wasn't long before Jack was fast asleep in Aster's arms. As if he'd foreseen this turn of events, Aster had began to make a nest of whatever soft things he could reach- towels, throw pillows, a couple of old sleeping bags and thank the fates, a blanket. Arranging them into a nest-like structure, the rabbit pulled his new lover on top of him and propped himself up with a few pillows before throwing the blanket a top the both of them. As Aster's own eyes began to grow heavy, he yawned sleepily and kissed Jack, murmuring softly, "Night, Frostbite. Sleep tight."


End file.
